Cyrus had been ruler of Persia for some time before he conquered Babylon in 539 BC. His policy was, when he conquered a nation, to allow any people held captive by that nation to return to their homeland. Therefore, soon after he conquered Babylon (i.e. in his first year as the Jews’ new ruler) he gave permission for the Jews to return to Jerusalem (1:1-4). Jeremiah’s prophecy made seventy years earlier had come true: the Jews were released from Babylon’s power to return to Palestine and rebuild their nation (Jer 25:1; Jer 25:12; Jer 29:10).
Although all had permission to return, many chose to remain in Babylon. They were reasonably well settled and secure in Babylon, and did not want to face the risks and hardships of a new life in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, they assisted those who returned by giving them money and goods. Cyrus also gave some assistance, giving back the temple treasures and handing over a gift of money from the royal treasury to help finance the reconstruction of Jerusalem (5-11; see also 3:7; 6:4).
At first the leader of the returning exiles was Sheshbazzar (see 1:8, 5:14), but for some reason not recorded he was soon replaced by the joint leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua (see 3:2; 5:2; Hag 1:1; Hag 2:2). Alternatively, Sheshbazzar may have been another name for Zerubbabel.
The record of those who returned to Jerusalem begins by listing the chief men who were to assist Zerubbabel and Joshua (2:1-2). (The person named Nehemiah in this list is not the person we meet later in the book of Nehemiah.) The total number who returned was about 50,000. Some were classified according to their families (3-19), others according to the towns their families originally came from (20-35). The priests, Levites and temple servants were all listed separately (36-58). Others could not be fitted into any category (59-63). On arrival in Jerusalem, some made offerings of money towards the building of the temple. All the people were then settled in and around Jerusalem (64-70).
Ver. 1. Cyrus- Concerning Cyrus, see Isa 44:28. It is probable, that this decree of Cyrus in favour of the Jews was in a great measure owing to the good offices of Daniel. Cyrus, at his first coming to Babylon, found him there, an old minister of state, famed over all the east for his great wisdom; and accordingly we find, that he not only employed him as such; but, upon settling the government, made him first superintendant, or prime minister of state, over all the provinces of the empire. In this station of life, Daniel must have been a person of great authority at court, and highly in the esteem of his prince; and it is not improbable, that he might shew him the passages in Isaiah referring to him; for it is evident from the decree itself, that Cyrus had seen those prophesies.
Ver. 2. The Lord God of heaven- It is observable, that God, in the former books, is called the Lord of hosts; but in the last of Chronicles, in this, in Nehemiah, and Daniel 1.e. in the books written after the captivity, he is styled the God of heaven, and not Lord of hosts, though they are both used in the same sense.
REFLECTIONS.-The seventy years of captivity now drew to their period; and the drooping hope of God's captive people began to revive, on the conquest of their oppressors by Cyrus, so long before prophesied of by name to be their deliverer: nor did he disappoint their expectations; for, no sooner had he subdued the Babylonish empire, than he issued out an edict for the restoration of the Jewish people. He was convinced, as appears by the proclamation, of the glory of Israel's God, attributed his great successes to his blessing, and diligently sought to correspond with his orders. The Lord stirred up his spirit; he looked upon himself as obliged to build his temple, according to the prophetic word; and therefore, while he gives a general leave to the Jews to return, he enjoins his subjects everywhere to assist them; that they who were poor might be furnished with necessaries for their journey, and a comfortable settlement when they came into their own land. And hereto especially the richer Jews, who chose to continue still in Babylon, were called to contribute; and, if they went not themselves, to help their brethren, and send their free-will offerings to Jerusalem. Note; (1.) Not one jot or tittle of God's word can fail; though the accomplishment of his promises seems long, it is sure at the appointed time. (2.) When the length of our sufferings is near making us despair of their termination, God causes light to rise up in the darkness, and there is hope in the end. (3.) The greatest kings are under the divine government; God has access to the spirits of men, and can incline them to serve his purposes. (4.) Whatever good desire is stirred up in our hearts, we must acknowledge it to be the gift of God. (5.) God is the disposer of the kingdoms of the world: they are truly wise and great who see his hand in their prosperity, and desire to advance his glory in the station to which he has exalted them. (6.) They who have a love for the temple, will gladly open their hand in liberal contribution for the furtherance of so good a work.
Ver. 8. Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah- His name was originally Zerubbabel; but it was common for the great men of Judah, at the time of the captivity, to have two names; one of their own country, which was domestic, and another of the Chaldeans, which was used at court. Zerubbabel was born at Babylon, and his name, זרבבל zerubbabel, which signifies an exile, or stranger in Babylon, implies the misery of the people of Israel at that time; but שׁשׁבצר Sheshbazzar, which is a compound of two words, signifying, fine linen and gold, seems to be a name of better omen, and to denote their future and more flourishing condition. So Bishop Patrick. Dr. Trapp, however, says, that Shesh-bazzar signifies joy in tribulation. Some are of opinion, that, among the sacred things which Cyrus ordered to be restored, the ark of the covenant was one; but it nowhere appears that this ark was carried from Jerusalem to Babylon. They tell us, indeed, that in the second temple sacrifices were offered as in the first, and all solemn days observed, especially the great day of expiation, when the law ordained that the blood should be sprinkled before the mercy-seat; and the mercy-seat, say they, was part of the ark; but, besides that the ark without the Shechinah (which was then certainly withdrawn) would have been of no great significance, the Jews universally acknowledge, that the ark was one of the five things which were wanting in the second temple.
Ver. 11. The vessels-were five thousand and four hundred- The sum total of these vessels amounts only to two thousand four hundred and ninety-nine. Houbigant supposes the number to be this sum total, as all the versions pretty nearly agree in the separate sums. Kennicott, however, thinks that the error lies in the four hundred and ten silver basons. That thousands, says he, were expressed anciently by single letters with a dot over them, may be presumed from this verse, where the silver basons are said to be (of a second sort, without mentioning any first) four hundred and ten; but in the parallel account, 1Es 2:13 we find the same silver basons to have been two thousand four hundred and ten. Now if ב beth, which stands for the number two, with a dot over it, stood for two thousand, the letter might very easily be copied without the dot. Afterwards, when, in consequence of the corruptions which had been found to arise from numeral letters, numbers were expressed, as they now are in the Hebrew copies, by words at length, the ב being thus reduced to signify two, was of course written שׁנים shenaiim; but this word making nonsense with the following, i.e. two four hundred and ten, has been since changed into משׁנים mishnim; a word not very agreeable to the sense here, and a word which renders this account not only repugnant to the parallel chapter, but also inconsistent with itself, as leaving the sum total now specified in the Hebrew text very deficient, for want of the two thousand thus omitted. This conjecture is confirmed by a Latin MS. in Exeter College library, which reads two thousand four hundred and ten; and is supported not only by five other Latin manuscripts in the Bodleian, but likewise by two in the Archbishop of Canterbury's library at Lambeth. Kenn. Dissert. vol. 2: p. 213. 508. 564. A learned anonymous writer, however, is of opinion that there is no need of any alteration. "Ezra," says he, "might at one time make particular mention of such vessels only as were perhaps chiefly used, or were most remarkable, and might mean to include all the rest in the general round sum of five thousand four hundred; and ver might afterwards think proper to write a more circumstantial history, setting down the exact number of each kind of vessels, together with the particular amount or total of the whole. In Josephus, Antiq. 11: ch. 5 the σπονδεια χρυσεα λ, (30) and the φιαλαι χρυσιναι λ, (30) correspond very well with the chargers of gold, and basons of gold, mentioned by Ezra. As to the other numbers, they all differ from the account in Ezra, as from that in Esdras, except the one thousand other vessels; and the addition of the whole amounts to no more than five thousand two hundred and ten; yet, as he has not himself given a total number, he cannot be said to contradict either of the others. Now, as not one of the articles in the Hebrew account of Ezra exceeds the numbers of those in Esdras, there can be no contradiction therein, because each number may be included in the corresponding number in Esdras. And further, if the number in each article in Ezra had been exactly the same with those in Esdras, the sum total, five thousand four hundred, would have appeared more like a mistake; but as they amount to no more than two thousand four hundred and ninety-nine, it is plain that the writer did not mean to enumerate every single vessel, because he afterwards gives a round sum total of even hundreds, viz. five thousand four hundred, which is more frequent in historians than exact and particular sums; therefore a person must be very little acquainted with history, who supposes that this is a contradiction to the sum total in Esdras, because the odd number sixty-nine is omitted."
REFLECTIONS.-In consequence of the proclamation, we have here a stirring among the dry bones; and the spirit of life breathing upon them, to arise and return to their own land.
1. Judah and Benjamin were the first to lead the way. The chief fathers of the families assembled; and the priests and Levites, zealous for the re-establishment of the service of God, readily embraced the permission given them. A thousand difficulties were, indeed, in their way; by their long abode in Babylon, many were now comfortably settled; they were utter strangers to the land whither they were going, and could expect to find there nothing but ruin and desolation; not so much as a house to cover their heads; yet all these things discouraged them not: God animated their hearts with desire for his temple's restoration at Jerusalem, and filled them with a noble love of liberty. Note; (1.) When God's service requires to be set forward, his ministers should be the first to promote it. (2.) The Lord must raise up our hearts, or else our earth-born souls will choose their rest in Babylon. (3.) The gospel, like this proclamation, calls forth the sinner from his bondage; and, though the way to the glorious land of life and liberty is difficult, those who dare trust their all with God, boldly go forth; while others, disheartened by the prospect of danger, refuse to follow the divine mandate, and live and die the servants of corruption.
2. The Chaldeans liberally assisted the returning Israelites; and they who stayed at Babylon willingly offered of their substance for the furtherance of the temple of God; while Cyrus, their great benefactor, nobly restores to them all the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon, and placed in the temple of his idol gods. Note; God can make the great men of the world contribute to the support of his cause, and assist in the furtherance of his service.
Babylon has had its days, and with its downfall has come that of the Assyrian Empire. The Medes and Persians, with Cyrus at their head, are now in power, and in the providence of God, Daniel, the Jewish prophet and statesman, has influence at this court, as in that of Nebuchadnezzar. By a study of the earlier prophets, especially Jeremiah, he has become aware that the time is nigh for the captivity of Judah to end and his people to return to their land (Dan 9:1-2; Jer 25:12-14). He knows, also, that two hundred years earlier, Isaiah had, by the Holy Spirit, mentioned Cyrus as the monarch by whose ukase this return would be brought about (Isaiah 44-45).
Doubtless he told these things to Cyrus, who issues this proclamation (Ezr 1:1) not from any intelligent desire to please Jehovah, but for political reasons. Nevertheless, thus is fulfilled again Rom 8:28.
The words of Cyrus, (Ezr 1:2) are not merely oriental hyperbole, as we may judge by Jeremiah 27 and Daniel 2. It is anticipating too much to enter on these prophets now, further than to say that the dominion they speak of as divinely entrusted to Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, was to be transferred to their successors down to the end of this age. Of these successors Cyrus and the Persians were the first.
Sheshbazzar (Ezr 1:8) is the Persian name for Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:8; 5-16), who, though born in exile, was recognized as heir to the throne of Judah.
ZERUBBABEL’S COMPANY (Ezra 2)
“Province” (Ezr 2:1) refers to Judah, and indicates that it is no longer an independent kingdom, but a dependency of Persia. “Children” is not to be taken in the sense of little ones, but that of descendants or posterity. “Tirshatha” (Ezr 2:63) means “governor.”
Verse 64 says, “The whole congregation, together, was forty-two thousand three hundred and threescore.” This amount is 12,000 more than the numbers when added together. Reckoning up the smaller numbers we find they amount to 29,818, in this chapter, and to 31,089 in the parallel chapter of Nehemiah. Ezra also mentions 494 persons omitted by Nehemiah, and Nehemiah mentions 1,765 not noticed by Ezra. If, therefore, Ezra’s surplus be added to Nehemiah, and Nehemiah’s to Ezra, they will both become 31,583. Subtracting this from 42,360, there will be a deficiency of 10,777. These are omitted because they did not belong to Judah and Benjamin or to the priests, but to the other tribes. The servants and singers are reckoned separately (Ezr 2:65), so that putting all these items together, the number of all who went with Zerubbabel amounted to 50,000 with 8,000 beasts of burden.
THE ALTAR AND THE TEMPLE (Ezra 3)
The seventh month (Ezr 3:1) corresponds to our September 15-October 15, and was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). Jeshua (Ezr 3:2) was the hereditary high priest. “His [or its] bases” (Ezr 3:3) means the old foundations of the altar. After the altar which was necessary to be built first in order to sacrifice unto the Lord, the foundations of the temple begin to be laid (Ezr 3:8-11). The sorrow of the older men (Ezr 3:12) was caused by the contrast between the prosperous circumstances under which Solomon’s temple had been built, and those of the present. This second temple would be inferior in size and costliness, and destitute of the Ark, the Shekinah, the Urim and Thummim, and other features which contributed to the glory of the first temple. Read Haggai in this connection.
ADVERSARIES (Ezra 4)
In verse one “Judah and Benjamin,” and “the children of the captivity” are identical. “The adversaries,” were the people settled in the land of Israel by the Assyrians after the captivity of the ten tribes. They intermarried with the Israelites who had been left behind, and their offspring went under the general name of Samaritans. Originally they were idolaters, but having received some instruction in the knowledge of the true God they claimed to be worshipping Him, though of course, in an ignorant and superstitious way. (Compare 2Ki 17:24-41.) The refusal of their co-operation by the Jews was proper, but it brought serious and prolonged trouble to them (Ezr 4:4-5). (Compare Joh 4:9.) Verse 6 shows the nature of this trouble, where Ahasuerus as commonly understood is another name for the famous Xerxes, king of Persia, although some maintain that he is identical with Darius Hystaspes. The conspirators continued in the next reign also (Ezr 4:7-16). “The great and noble Asnapper” (Ezr 4:10) is another name for Esar-Haddon, met with before, who transported these foreigners into the waste cities of Samaria after the captivity of Israel. The result of their efforts is shown in Ezr 4:23-24. Darius is sometimes known as Darius Hystaspes, and was the second of that name since Cyrus. The work ceased for about fifteen years.
RENEWAL OF THE WORK (Ezra 5-6)
Do not omit to read Zechariah at this point, and observe the effect of his words, heaven-endued, upon the leaders (Ezr 5:1-2). The men of verse 3, like those of chapter 4, verses 7-8, were satraps or viceroys of Persia set over provinces in proximity to Judah, who felt it their duty thus to inquire and protest. Verse four seems a mistranslation, and probably means that they inquired of the Jews instead of the reverse (see Ezr 5:10).
The Darius of chapter five acted differently from any of his predecessors. Achmetha (Ezr 6:2) is better known as Ecbatana, the summer residence of the early kings of Persia. The work of the temple may proceed (Ezr 6:7), the Persian satraps are to assist (Ezr 6:8-10), penalties are to follow interference (Ezr 6:11-12), and henceforth the turbulent Samaritans had better take care!
The work is ended (Ezr 6:15). Dr. Lightfoot says the foundation was laid April, 536 B.C., and the completion accomplished February 21, 515 B.C. The dedicatory feast is held with joy. Note the explanatory reason (Ezr 6:22). God receives the glory.
QUESTIONS
1. What world-empire succeeded the Assyrian or Babylonian?
2. What prophet is used of God for the return of His people to Palestine?
3. Have you read Isaiah 44, 45?
4. Are you familiar with Daniel 2?
5. What distinction belonged to Zerubbabel?
6. How many people of all classes returned in the first company?
7. What was the first religious work they set about?
8. What prophets, whose written works have come down to us, belong to this period?
